Highlights of Molecular Laboratory Diagnostics in South Africa

Dear Colleagues,

The backbone to South Africa’s HIV, TB and COVID-19 prevention and treatment programs is a national laboratory network of connected diagnostics. Through a single laboratory information system (LIS), test quality, program operations and surveillance monitoring are centrally enabled, with data algorithms driving national policy and research agendas. Molecular diagnostics is central to this network, with capacity for 10 million tests per year, mostly established for HIV viral load, EID and TB molecular tests. In April 2020, the country felt the pressure of diagnostic needs for COVID-19 and leveraged its national molecular diagnostic platform for SARS-CoV-2 testing. Limited supply, however, catapulted the country’s innovative thinkers to strengthen public–private partnerships to expand molecular testing and develop protocols, reference materials and regulatory frameworks to rapidly evaluate new molecular technologies, often before global emergency use listing. Complementing South Africa’s molecular diagnostic program is the integration of digital health innovations with the LIS that automates specimen tracking, monitors specimen and service quality and enables rapid priority disease test result return for linkage to care.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to highlight the role molecular diagnostics and companion innovations have played in South Africa’s healthcare programs, as well as their impact. We invite authors to share their lessons learned, scaled implementation successes and innovative molecular diagnostic approaches to improve patient care. 

Dr. Lesley Erica Scott
Prof. Dr. Wendy Stevens
Guest Editors

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